Dear Hayao Miyazaki,
The first movie of yours that I ever saw was Princess Mononoke. I stumbled across it on the old cartoon network late one night during what they called "Saturday Anime". I was completely entranced by the story and its characters. It was everything I loved about movies. Strong, complicated, deep characters trying to do what they think is right.
The next day I looked up everything I could find about you and your films. Finding a way to watch your other films was more difficult, but eventually I managed to get them all into my movie collection.
I am a strong minded and strong hearted woman. Watching your characters find themselves and realize their true purpose was something that affected me deeply. They did not find their way easily, they were not handed the solutions to their problems. They had to work for it. They had to believe in themselves and their friends. These values and ideas are ones I am strongly committed to, but they are absent so often in entertainment, not just in animation, but live action as well. Your heroes and heoines gave me the strength and courage to face life as an individual of worth. While I know that seems over dramatic it is no less than the truth.
I was deeply influenced by the honor and spirit of your characters and try to share their incredible stories with anyone who's willing.
I am, above all, a lover of stories, whether through books, television, movies, plays, or manga. Your abilities in storytelling are some of the most amazing I've ever run across through any medium.
I want you to know that your personal story and your movies have touched my heart and mind in a way that is profound and permanent. You are an inspiration as much as your characters and I am eternally grateful that you chose to share these stories and characters. I know some were not yours originally, but I know that the heart and life you brought into them on screen is 100% you.

With my deepest love and respect,
Sallie Henshaw